Door check and closer.



W. K. HENRY.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED ocvT. 7. I9I4.

LMGAR Patented May 25, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l. 20W', I A i Ill W. K. HENRY.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. l9l4. LMDAW. Patented May 25, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1ML Nolan'ls PHIL-'lh CQ, PHOTO ITHo., WASHINGIUN. D C.

UNITED PATENT 'WILLIAM K. HENRY, OF NEVI BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, 0F NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

DOOR CHECK ANI) CLOSER.

intensa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

T0 all w71 om ift may con cern Be it known that 1, Winnaar K. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Checks and Closers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to door controlling devices and particularly to a simple, inexpensive and effective form of -door check and closer mechanism, which may be lightly constructed, and which may be therefore readily applied to light doors or swinging screens.

1n the drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus in place; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the several parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Figs. t, 5 and 6 are perspective views of details; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of another detail.

1 represents a door hinged at 2 to open outwardly. 3 is a part of the door casing. The door controlling mechanism is mounted upon a base or frame t, provided with suitable attaching lugs whereby it may be screwed in place by the use of ordinary wood screws. At the back of the frame 4 is a channel in which the closer spring 5 is housed. At one end of the channel is a slotted wall 6 (see Fig. l) while at the other end is a passage, through which slot and passage extends a link rod 7. The rod 7 has a suitable head 8 at its outer side which may have a screw driver slot, as shown, while intermediate its length it is provided with a screw thread 9. rllhis screw thread 9 has mounted upon it an abutment 10. rThe closer spring surrounds the rod 7, its ends being confined between the slotted wall 6 and the adjustment abutment 10. By rotating the rod 7 the abutment 10 can be moved to and fro to vary the effective tension of the spring 5 by varying the degree to which the spring is normally compressed. rThis will be readily seen by referring to the sectional view in Fig. 2. 11 is a checking cylinder having therein a piston 12 mounted at the inner end of the piston rod 13. 141 is an adjustable regulating valve at the back end of the cylinder 11 to vary the resistance pressure created by moving the piston into the cylinder. rThe movement of the piston in an outward direction is comparatively free, the outer end of the cylinder being freely vented as shown at 15; or any other well known means may be employed whereby the piston can move in an outward direction with relative freedom. The cylinder 11 is hinged at 16 at one end of the base 4. 17 is a lever of the second class fulcrumed at 18 on the base 4l. At the free end of the lever 17 is connected a link rod 19, which link rod is suitably connected to a bracket 20, which constitutes a stationary abutment. The rod 7 is connected to the lever 17 relatively close to the fulcrum or stud 18. 1n the particular form shown, the lever 17 is provided with a horizontal passage contracted at the base to form a socket for the head 8 of said rod 7. While the contracted part of this passage through the lever 17 is too small to permit the head 8 to pass through,there is a slot 22 provided, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5, to afford clearance for the rod 7 as the door swings open and as the lever 17 turns on its pivot 18. The piston rod 13 is likewise connected to the lever between its ends and preferably at a greater distance from the fulcrum 18 than the connection for the rod 7. As shown, the connection for the piston rod 13 comprises a pivot 23 carried by an ofl'set lug 24. The lever, of course, is suitably curved to afford clearance for the parts.

It should be understood that the various parts described may be modified in a variety of ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. In the particular form shown, the combined closer and check may be attached to a door and door casing substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for example, the base 4.- being screwed to the upper part of the door 1, and the abutment bracket 20 being secured to the door casing, as shown. Vith the door closed.l the various parts will assume approximately the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the piston 12 being pushed fully into the cylinder 11 and the spring 5 being extended to its normal limit, which is determined by the adiustment of the member 10 on the rod 7. When the door is opened the parts will assume, for example, approximately the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which position the lever is shown as swung outward partially, said;` movement pulling the piston 12 outwardly in the checking cylinder- 11, and putting the spring 5 under increased tension. As soon as the door is released the spring 5 will eX- pand and tend to restore the parts to the position shown in solid lines by exerting apull on the lever 17. This pull on the lever and movement oi the lever is retarded by the checking piston 12, which vthen moves inwardly in the checking cylinder 11. By this very simple arrangement ofzparts 1 am able to produce rapidly and economically a light, compact and comparatively inexpensive device which is capable of being easily and quickly installed :in place, and which may beadjusted without the exercise of any particulardegreel of skill such as is required in the more complex forms of checkdevices. y

In the present instance, as maybe readily seen, the spring power orclosing the-door may-be varied by simply turning the rod 7 v by which the lever 17 is linked to the spring. To vary the checking'resistance the valve 14 maybe turned. 14 represents a check nut by which the valve l-lvinay be locked when properly adjusted. The movable spring abutment 10 is, as shown, cut away or flattened on one side, whereby when the rod7 is turned it will beheld against turning but will'simply move to and Jfro on the thread 9. VThe presence of: the rod 7 within the spring tends to prevent the spring from buckling under compression, whereby it is obvious that the surrounding `housing is immaterial an'd unimportant so far as concerns the effective operation of the spring. As willbe seen the connection between the rod` 7 and the lever 17 is al universal-connection; that Vis to say it permits the rod and lever to Y swing relatively Ito each otheryand 'it also class, vas distinguished yfrom the ...doubleended lever,-that -isvto-say al lever of the first lclass-, 1 am enabled to v gain several advantages, Suchas providing ai construction in -which ftlie'tension' spring may be easily adjusted'from lthe fulcrumede end of the lever 17. Again by this construction the parts may be more advantageously essembled; and again Abythis construction the pivotal 'center of the head 8 of' the rod 7 may beso-disposed relatively to the ulcrum 18 that the strain of the spring, when the door is'fully closed, may be as near in line withthe fulcrum and theabutmentfl() as ends and nearer to? thel pivoted end'thereof .than said piston connection, means forv connecting.- the-frame with one of two.r complementaryfinovablefpa'rts, and vrneans fori confnectin'g the free.l end of said leverto the-other desired, it being understood that it -is advantageous-tol have-this center relatively, close to said linev when the door is closed, sov that y the first part of the opening movement will vbe an'easy movement,"-requiring little strain.

By referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it

will be seen that the lirst part of the movementin Va door opening! direction' produces a relatively slowv compression offthewspring. When, however, the door is moving say from 'the half-opened position to the fully opened position, the compression movement is `faster,` so' that the spring will eXerti-ts most fulcrum 18 and abutment 10. At this time V the checking actionis the greatest, so that inactual practice the door 1 will start to close very rapidly and will finallyclose` witha relatively slow but certain movement.

1t will be understood that 1 have shown a checking' means of the pneumatic type,

although, in a broad sense, myl invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

What I claim is:

inner endV near tlie'opposite end lof said frame, a piston within said cylinder connected to said lever between its ends, a closer spring carried by said frame and operatively connected with said lever also between its ends and nearerto the pivoted end thereof than said piston connection,"ineans Vfor connecting the frame with one oftwo complenientary movableparts,and means for connecting the free vend of said lever tothe other of said complementary parts.

v 2. Inra combined door check and closer, a frame, a checking cylinder-pivoted thereto near one endthereof, a lever pivoted at its inner -end near the opposite end of-said frame, a piston vwithin 'said' cylinder connected to said lever between its ends, a com- .pression closerspring carried by said frame yand operatively connected with said lever f also Vbetween its lends and nearer to the pivotedy end thereoffithan .said piston connection, means orconnecting the frame with fone of two complementary movable parts, Aand means l:tori connecting the free end'of i said -leverfto the other vofsaid complementary parts. y Y

Y 3. In a combined door'checkfandcloser, a

"rframe, a. checking cylindengpivoted. thereto near oneend thereof, Ia lever pivoted at-its l innerfiendnear the opposite :end .of said frame, av piston within said cylinder lconspring carried'by'said frame and operatively connected V with saidflever also `.between 'its of said complementary parts, the connection nectedto. said lever. between its ends, a closer frame, a piston within said cylinder con` nected to said lever between its ends, a closer spring carried by said `frame and opera- .tively connected with said lever also between its ends and nearer to the pivoted end thereof than said piston connection, means for connecting the frame with one of two complementary movable parts, and means for connecting the `free end of said lever to the other of said complementary parts, the connection for said spring with said lever comprising a rotatable rod slidable in said frame, a spring supporting abutment nonrotatably mounted upon said rod and arranged to be shifted longitudinally thereon to vary the degree of compression of said spring.

5. In a door check and closer, a frame, a checking cylinder hinged near one end of said frame, a lever pivoted at its inner end near the opposite end of said frame, a checking piston within the cylinder and means for connecting said piston to said lever between its ends, a spring actuated sliding rod supported at one end by said frame and having a universal joint connection with said lever near the pivoted end of the latter, a compression spring mounted upon said rod and bea-ring at one end against the frame, an abutment mounted on said rod by a screw thread connection and supporting the opposite end of said spring.

6. In a combined door check and closer, a frame, a checking device, a lever of the second class mounted on said frame and operatively connected with said checking device, a closer spring carried by said frame, means for operatively connecting said closer spring with said lever at a point between the fulcrum of said lever and the point where said checking device is connected to said lever.

7. In a combined door check and closer, a frame, a checking device, a lever oit' the second class mounted on said frame and operatively connected with said checking device, a closer spring carried by said frame, means for operatively connecting said checking spring with said lever at a point between the ulcrum of said lever and the point where said checking device is connected to said 1ever, said means `for connecting the spring to said lever comprising means for adjusting the tension of the spring, said adjusting means comprising a link rod and a connection between said link rod and lever capable of permitting said link rod to turn on its aXis to swing relatively to said lever.

WILLIAM K. HENRY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM V. COLLINS, NEWTON G. CURTIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

